water; and of the Holy Spirit, its great agent, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. But what then is baptism? The outward sign, is the answer, of an inward and spiritual grace. But the sign and the thing signified are distinct, and ought not to be confounded. Many have regeneration who never were baptized; many are baptized who never have regeneration. Let all beware how they confound these matters, as a mistake here may be of fatal consequence, and lead to our undoing.

Another mistake is, that of waiting for these influences to descend upon persons before we use the means, or teach them to use the means, for their conversion. The promised connexion of them with the outward means should lead us to the zealous adoption of all such means, with devout and confident expectation in this agency to render them effectual; and we should be found, both at the time and afterwards, imploring its gracious operation. Behold the husbandman. Does he keep the seed in the store-house or barn, and wait, before he sows it, till the rain descends, and the sun pours his warm beams upon the earth? No. But trusting to the faithfulness of the God of nature, he ploughs and sows in hope. He hath long patience, till his ground receives the early and the latter rain. And he is not disappointed. It receiveth blessing from God. Would that we were as wise and diligent in the affairs of salvation, as in the concerns of the present life!

But the worst mistake is that which we make in the matter of our own salvation. The neces

sity of this influence is acknowledged, but we look upon it as arbitrarily bestowed, connected with no particular use of means, and applied by no rule whatever. Hence we think our want of it to be owing to some unalterable determination on the part of the Deity, and ascribe to that our destitution of the blessing. Fatal mistake! It paralyses the energies of conscience. It is a torpedo-touch on the exertions of all whom it influences. It fixes them in their condition of alienation from God. Oh, let us abandon these metaphysical subtilties, and surrender ourselves to the unsophisticated representations of the word of God. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." I have planted; Apollos watered; God gave the

increase.

But, I am born again that I may grow in the spiritual life that has been received. And how is this to be effected but by a faithful application to my mind of revealed truth, in its real and understood import, under the blessing of the Holy Spirit?

I must not tire of the word—not pall upon it; but search into it and meditate upon it, that I may excite the spiritual instinct in me after its nutritious virtue. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." I must take care of obstructions to this growth, in evil tempers, especially those of the irascible kind; for, as peccant humours in the body prevent all nourishment from ministering to health and growth, so do these retard the

proper and benign operations of the Divine word. And not to grow is ungrateful, sinful, injurious. It is to be dwarfed in stature, and punished with weakness and barrenness, instead of being made wise with the wisdom of God, and fruitful in every good word and work.

CHRISTIANS NOT OF THE WORLD.

"The world knoweth us not."-1 John iii. 1,

THIS assertion may properly be made by Christians at all times and in all places. As Christians, they are not understood by the men of the world around them. The natural and carnal mind not only does not know them as such, but cannot.

The world knows us not, as to the bond of our union with Christ. We are conscious of effects that reveal the existence of such a bond. We go to Christ; make supplications in his name; regard him with emotions and affections of a powerful nature: we receive from him divine communications, gracious influences, sensible impressions, and spiritual manifestations. But what of these are ever seen or can be seen by the world's eye? We can judge, from our own experience, of the intercourse of other Christians with Christ, and their connexion with him. But what judgment of these can be formed by one who is destitute of this experience. "He that is spiritual judgeth all things; but he himself is judged of no man;" -no man that is not spiritual.

The world knows not the peculiar graces that form the Christian character. Our moral virtues they can appreciate, and for this reason, though less noble and dignifying than those that relate to God, we ought to be particularly observant of them. If we do not surpass them by their own standard, we shall gain no credit from them to our religious or spiritual pretensions. "What do ye more than others?" will then be our cutting reproach. But the virtues that form the hidden man of the heart, require another power for their discernment than natural men possess. And for want of this power they read us most incorrectly. They form the most bewildering and confused notions concerning us. "What can they find in the ordinances of religion to make them so perpetually attached to them? It is surely pretence, eustom, imagination, or enthusiasm." So they surmise, for want of perceiving those spiritual appetites and instincts which are thus gratified, as by their appropriate aliment, and the delight of communion with God invigorated. As Christians, we are attached to other Christians, because of their similar relation, character, and destiny to The suffering of such an one pierces us, his joy delights us. From this affinity result intercourse, association, endearment. What does the world know of this attachment? It can look upon it in no other light than as the product of agreement, or habitual familiarity. We have overflowing joy-the world knows not its source. We have a hope of heaven, elevating, purifying, sustaining even in death's agonies-from which the hope of heaven, in the breasts of natural men,

our own.

is as different as the meteor in the air from the star in the firmament; yet they know nothing of this difference; they are even apt to suppose our hope far inferior to their own. We may see from hence what is meant by the expression, "Your life is hid with Christ in God;" and by the promise, "I will give him to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." The world knoweth us not.

But "not knowing " is put, in Scripture, for not approving, not allowing; but condemning. Such, men will find to be the meaning of those terms at the last day, when Christ shall say, "Depart from me; I never knew you;" I disapprove of you, I condemn you. And so we are to understand the apostle here, when he says "the world knoweth us not,

disesteems us, misjudges, and condemns us. But whence is this? Several circumstances account for it.

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Our judgment is opposed to theirs. We act under the influence of opposite maxims. What they value we slight: what they disregard we highly prize. Christ's rules of judgment and those of the world perpetually clash. In adopting his, we incense their pride; You-who are you, that you should presume to give the law to us, or set up your opinions against ours, which are the current ones, and patronized by men of name?" This is one reason. Then our conduct tacitly condemns theirs; and makes its inferiority painfully to be felt. And does not the artificial beauty dislike to have one near to her of superior loveliness, and the man of gasconade to have associated